These cookies are so easy and fun to make, plus super delicious with simple ingredients. You can fill the shortbread thumbprint cookies with jams, jelly, or even chocolate ganache. Additionally, the shortbread cookies can be drizzled with white chocolate or a simple icing.
These shortbread thumbprint cookies are super soft, tart, and sweet all in one. The flavor is easily customizable and they take less than 30 minutes to make. These easy shortbread cookies are the perfect addition to any holiday cookie box!
I always make them around the holidays as part of my Christmas cookies. If you’re interested in adding other unique cookies to your Christmas cookie boxes, checkout all my other cookie recipes!
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Ingredients for Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients for these easy shortbread thumbprint jam cookies are super simple.
- Butter: I usually use unsalted and add salt, but you can definitely use salted butter. If you do so, omit the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar: We use sugar in the cookie dough and also reserve some on the side for rolling the cookie dough balls in prior to baking.
- All Purpose Flour
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract/Almond Extract: I love using a mixture of both vanilla extract and almond extract for these cookies. The flavor of both together is really unique and delicious but if you prefer one over the other, feel free to just use one of them!
- Salt
- Jam/Jelly: Use any jam you like. My family’s favorite is strawberry jam. I personally also love apricot, raspberry, mixed berry, blackberry, peach, and orange marmalade jelly as well. Any variety of flavor will do! I do recommend a seedless jam.
- Powdered Sugar: Optional for dusting sifted powdered sugar on top of finished cookies.
- White Chocolate Chips: These are optional if you would like to do the white chocolate drizzle on top, which is my personal favorite topping.
How to Make Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Making shortbread thumbprint cookies are simple. All you do is start by creaming together softened butter and sugar together. Then add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Then add in the flour and salt and mix just until a cookie dough forms.
The cookie dough should be soft and easy to roll into small balls. I like to make these cookies smaller. After rolling the cookies into balls, roll them into the additional sugar, and then place on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Using your thumb or the back of a melon baller tool, indent a circle into the cookies.
Fill in the indents with the preferred jam. Tip: It is easiest to fill a piping bag with the jam to avoid a mess when filling the indents.
Bake for 14 minutes, then allow to cool completely before decorating. You may also leave them plain as well if you wish!
Once cooled completely, drizzle melted white chocolate over top of the cookies. Additionally or alternatively sprinkle sifted powdered sugar over top.
Variations for Thumbprint Cookies
There are a couple ways to customize these shortbread thumbprint cookies. The first option is to use any jam of your choosing to customize the flavor. Shortbread jam cookies rely heavily on the jam flavor themselves because the shortbread will be more subtle. Because the jam will overpower the shortbread, it is important to choose a flavor you love!
You can also fill the indents with a thicker chocolate ganache after baking and let it set. This is opposite if you were to use jam, in which you place the jam on the cookies before baking.
You can also customize these shortbread thumbprint jam cookies by deciding how you want to top the thumbprint cookies. You can drizzle the cooled cookies with melted white chocolate chips which is my personal favorite.
Additionally you can opt for a simple icing glaze with just powdered sugar and a touch of milk. You can also choose not to drizzle the cookies with anything and instead sprinkle sifted powdered sugar. Sometimes I do both a drizzle and a dusting. (I also like to add edible glitter around the holidays for some extra fun!)
Equipment for Shortbread Cookies
Making shortbread thumbprint cookies does not require any fancy equipment but you will need an electric mixer. Either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer will work just fine also!
You will also need cookie sheets and parchment paper or silicone mats to line the baking sheets with.
Tip: Use a piping bag or plastic baggy with the corner snipped, filled with jam, to easily fill cookie indents with jam. You can also use the piping bag to drizzle white chocolate over top of the cookies. If you do not want to use your thumbs to make the indent in the cookie for the jam, you can also use a melon baller, like I do in the video below!
I also recommend using a sifter to dust the powdered sugar over top of the cookies if you wish to add the powdered sugar on top. Powdered sugar tends to get clumpy so it is best to sift it and ensure you are only adding a sprinkle to the top of the shortbread cookies!
How to Store Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Store the baked and completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days at most, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cookies freeze well but are best enjoyed freshly baked and cooled.
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Shortbread Thumbprint Jam Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) (softened)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (plus 2 extra tablespoons set aside for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup jam of your choice (strawberry, apricot, raspberry, blackberry, peach, etc.,.)
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, melted (optional) (*this is meant for drizzling over the cookies after they are cooled. You may also opt to do a traditional powdered sugar glaze or leave them plain. This is entirely up to you.)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted (optional) (*to dust over the finished cookies)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a metal cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together softened butter, sugar, and salt for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in egg and vanilla, then mix until combined.
- Mix in flour until a soft dough forms. This doesn't take long. The dough should be able to be shaped right away from the bowl, but if the dough seems to sticky (especially if you live in a warmer climate), you can refrigerate/chill the dough for 15-30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll dough into 1" balls. These cookies are meant to be a little smaller but you can make them bigger. Just keep in mind that you will get less. I like to use a cookie scoop to help measure the dough and create consistently sized cookies.
- Roll each ball into the extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set on a prepared baking sheet. Take a small melon baller or your thumb (hence the name!) and make an even circle indent into each cookie.
- Scoop or pipe in your jam of choice filling the indent. I like to put the jam in a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a snipped end to make filling the indents on the cookies quickly, easily, and without mess!
- Bake cookies for 14-16 minutes. Cookies should still be very light and color. Do not overbake! 14 minutes is perfect for my convection oven.
- Let cookies cool completely. Melt white chocolate chips and drizzle over top of the cookies and enjoy!
Video
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